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PASAY CITY (PhilAmPress) – Prospective government witness Ruby Tuason has pinned down Sens. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile and their aides in the P10 billion pork barrel scam.
Tuason fled to San Francisco, California when she was charged with plunder along with Senators Enrile, Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. but returned “to tell all no matter who gets hurt.”
In her testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, Tuason claimed that she used to deliver millions of pesos in “commissions” to Estrada at his Senate office and elsewhere while Enrile allegedly got his through his erstwhile chief of staff Lucila “Gigi” Gonzales Reyes who has fled abroad when also charged with her boss.
Meanwhile, the committee will subpoena Mat Ranillo III in connection with the investigation on the alleged pork barrel scam after whistle-blower Benhur Luy confirmed on Thursday that the actor was one of the conduits tapped by businesswoman Janel Lim Napoles at the House of Representatives.
During the resumption of the Senate inquiry into the alleged pork barrel scam, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV moved to subpoena Ranillo and former Enrile chief of staff Gigi Reyes and appointment secretary Pauline Labayen of Senator Estrada.
Enrile and Estrada, along with Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., have been charged with plunder before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged misuse of some P10 billion priority development assistance fund (PDAF). They denied the charges.
Luy claimed that Ranillo served as a conduit of kickback money for Estrada but Napoles stopped paying commissions to Ranillo because she wanted to directly deal with the senator.
The whistle-blower revealed that Napoles gave Ranillo a Ford E-150 and the alleged pork barrel scam queen wanted the actor to pay the vehicle through his commissions.
The partnership between Napoles and Ranillo later ended in court after Ranillo allegedly failed to pay the vehicle. Napoles won in the case and the car was recovered through sheriff service.
Luy said Ranillo did transactions with Estrada through the senator’s appointments secretary Labayen.
During the Senate probe, co-accused turned state witness Ruby Tuason claimed that she gave kickback money for Enrile through Atty. Reyes.
”She has a lot of power in (Enrile’s) office. She is authorized to transact. Perhaps he has full trust on Reyes,” Tuason said.
When asked if Enrile had knowledge about such kickbacks, Tuason said: “I presume Enrile knows about it.”
Senator Guingona said the panel might also invite Estrada’s security personnel Alfredo delos Reyes who, Tuason claimed, picked her up from a car at the Senate basement parking and carried the bag full of kickback money for Estrada.
Following the testimony of provisional state witness Ruby Tuason in the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam, Malacanang expressed hope that this development brings the senators a step closer to resolving the case.
Tuason has decided to testify against the suspected perpetrators in exchange for protection after being charged with plunder together with several others for being linked to the pork barrel controversy or misuse of public funds.
She is now admitted to the Witness Protection Program (WPP) of the Department of Justice under provisional coverage.
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr, in a Palace media briefing, said that Tuason’s testimony amplified the information stated in her affidavit.
“We hope that this development will shed more light on the people’s quest for truth and justice,” he stressed.
When asked to evaluate Tuason’s testimony, the PCOO chief said that such evaluation will be left to the senators conducting the inquiry on the matter.
“It is the senators themselves who will evaluate and judge the quality of Ms. Tuason’s testimony insofar as the objective of their investigation is concerned,” Coloma said.
He explained that the objective is to eventually craft remedial legislation that will address the ills exposed in connection with the alleged misuse of public funds by certain legislators.
Earlier, Coloma said that it is not only the government but also the whole Filipino people who have a high interest in the outcome of the issue which is a national concern.
Senator Estrada vehemently denied the testimony of Ruby Tuason in the Senate where the co-accused turned witness in the pork barrel scam claimed she gave kickback money to the senator in his Senate office in 2008.
”I vehemently denied that she gave money twice here in the Senate. I’m very confident that she did not bring any money here,” Estrada said in a Senate media interview few hours after Tuason testified in the Senate inquiry into the alleged misuse of priority development assistance fund (PDAF).
”I have said it before and I am saying it again, I have not asked nor received any kickbacks or commissions from Mrs. Tuason,” he added.
Estrada also reiterated his request to the Senate leadership to check and immediately make public the CCTV (closed-circuit television) footages wherein Tuason allegedly delivered money to Estrada at the basement parking of the Senate building.
Estrada also described as “a total lie” Tuason’s claim that the senator directly dealt with businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind, regarding his PDAF.
”I never had any dealings with Mrs. Napoles, either directly or indirectly regarding my PDAF,” he said.
Contrary to Senate Blue Ribbon chairman Teofisto Guingona III’s claim, Estrada said Tuason is not a credible witness.
”It is quite obvious from Mrs. Tuason’s body language and her replies from the questions propounded on her as well as the information shared to the committee that she had no recollection of events on her own,” Estrada said.
The senator said he noticed that Tuason usually conferred with whistleblower Benhur Luy every time she rattled for answers from senators.
”As seen on live national television, she has to confer with Benhur Luy and constantly referred to her affidavit and other papers to answer the questions from the senators. If she is really telling the truth, why can’t she recall such instances from her own memory and not rely from written statement? Mrs. Tuason is merely being fed all these information,” Estrada said.
”I symphatize with her when she said that she’d rather die than go to jail. Undoubtedly, a person that desperate will say anything and do everything to avoid going to jail, which to her is worse than death,” he said.
If Guingona described Tuason’s testimonies as a game-winning three-point shot, Estrada said the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman should be charged with “offensive foul” for pre-judging the statement of Tuason without evidence.
Earlier, Guingona said Tuason’s statements is enough to pin down Estrada over the alleged misuse of his PDAF.
”He is trying to box out fellow senators for him to score for his early political ambition. He wanted to improve further his rating in the next election,” Estrada said.
But when asked to comment on Sen. Miriam Santiago’s bulls eye description of Tuason’s testimonies, Estrada could only reply: “She has her own opinion. She has the right. That is her opinion. I have also the right to express my own opinion. I will not debate with her.”
Estrada also denied Tuason’s claim that she delivered some P11 million kickback in his residence in Green Hills in San Juan in 2004.
”How she can claim she gave me such amount in September 2004 when in fact, I received my SARO (special allotment release order) in December of that year. I was newly elected senator then,” Estrada explained.
Meanwhile, Estrada welcomed the plan of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to invite his driver Alfredo delos Reyes and security personnel Ferdinand Panalyon who allegedly carried the bag containing the kickback money for Estrada.
”It’s okay for me. They can invite them. I will not prevent them from attending the Senate hearing,” he said.
Estrada also said he will not take leave of absence as senator because “I have done nothing wrong.”
Aside from Estrada, Tuason claimed she also delivered money to Senate minority leader Juan Ponce Enrile through his former chief of staff Atty. Gigi Reyes.
Estrada said it was not Tuason but Lorna Tolentino who introduced Napoles to him.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has already filed plunder complaints against Estrada, Enrile and Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. before the Office of the Ombudsman.